Bitter is Business. An ampalaya (bitter gourd) grower gathers his produce on his farm in San Ildefonso, Bulacan. He is a member of one of the proponent groups for the Triple B Charantin Enterprise sub-project under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). Their proposal, which seeks to improve production, marketing and processing of ampalaya fruits, leaves and vines for food supplement manufacturing, is one of the recently approved enterprise development sub-projects in the PRDP's Luzon A (North Luzon) cluster. DA-PRDP’s P113-million assistance to boost agribusiness in Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is optimistic that the P113 million-worth enterprise development sub-projects approved under the agency’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) will further enhance agribusiness in Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley Regions.
Late last year, the DA-PRDP National Project Coordination Office and North Luzon Project Support Office have endorsed eight out of 12 business and procurement plans compliant with the Project’s requirements and standards for the issuance of a No Objection Letter (NOL).
The issuance of the NOL gives the go-signal to proceed with the procurement activities identified in the sub-project procurement plans.
The approval of the eight sub-projects came a few months after the World Bank had signaled the implementation of the P12.4-million integrated coffee processing and marketing enterprise in Tanudan and Tabuk City, Kalinga, the cluster’s pilot I-REAP sub-project.
The I-REAP, or the Investments for Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Productivity is a component under the PRDP that aims to strengthen and develop viable agro-fisheries-based enterprises. Under this component, the PRDP provides technical, financial and infrastructure support to make value chains of key commodities in targeted sub-project areas more efficient.
The approved sub-projects are the P6.64-million dairy enterprise in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; P28.16-million dairy enterprise in Mallig, Isabela; P12.88-million Triple-B Charantin enterprise in San Ildefonso, Bulacan; P8.69-million ampalaya enterprise in San Jose, Nueva Ecija; P17.3-million onion farm mechanization service facility in Talavera, Nueva Ecija; P9.16-million onion enterprise in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija; P27.84-million sweet potato custom service provision, processing center and storage facility in Moncada, Tarlac; and P2.08-million mungbean production, a small livelihood project, in Botolan, Zambales.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that the farmers’ association or cooperative-led enterprise development sub-projects will complement the PRDP’s infrastructure development sub-projects and other DA regular programs and projects in these areas.
The Secretary also stressed that these interventions will provide members of proponent associations and cooperatives opportunities to increase their incomes.
“We are positive that our enterprise development interventions will enable farmers’ associations and cooperatives to grow. And as these groups flourish, we could expect that the members economically progress as well,” Alcala said.
The DA-PRDP is a six-year World Bank-assisted project that aims to improve rural economy by operationalizing local-level convergence among agricultural stakeholders, synergizing programs and projects for modern, climate-smart and market-oriented agro-fishery sector. The Project also seeks to benefit the greater segment of farmers and fishers to contribute to the nation’s goal of inclusive growth. ### (Kayla Arceo, DA-PRDP PSO-Luzon A InfoACE Unit; Jan P. Dacumos, NPCO InfoACE Unit)
